Palmer considering changes to rotes

Press, 22 July 1988, Page 5

Palmer considering changes to rotes

Political reporter The Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, is considering a change to Parliament’s Standing Orders to prevent judicial name-sup-pression orders being breached in the House.

Controversy erupted in Parliament this week when the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, breached such an order in his campaign against corporate crime.

This action horrified Government members, in- t eluding Mr Palmer. The i Acting Speaker, Mr John 1

Terris, said yesterday that only as a last resort should members breach suppression orders.

Mr Palmer was rumoured yesterday to be looking at preventing such breaches by legislation. But his office confirmed last evening that the Minister was now considering changing Standing Orders — Parliament’s rule book — to curb breaches.

The issue raises key questions regarding the relationship between Parliament and the law

courts. Parliamentary sovereignty dates back to the 1688 Bill of Rights. If legislation had been passed to uphold the supremacy in Parliament of court orders, the principle of Parliamentary supremacy would have been questioned. But a change to Standing Orders would be less drastic, being subject to Parliament’s own policing through the Privileges Select Committee. Mr Palmer is himself a member of the Standing Orders Committee of Parliament.